Cravendale’s Genius Use of Social Media!!!!

So, according to Cravendale, if you are serious about your milk, then Cravendale is the milk for you and you will definitely lose your head over it, just like Barry the biscuit boy. In order to get this message across, Cravendale’s target audience had to include those young, socially savvy online consumers who enjoy having a glass of milk and dunking their biscuits in it.

In order to communicate this message, Cravendale has its own active website which conveniently allows users to access social networking sites. Cravendale is using different social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter in order to increase brand awareness as well as engage with the target audience. Cravendale currently has 14,759 followers on Twitter and 183,185 likes on Facebook and the above video has received 194,902 views so far. In order to encourage engagement between the brand and its followers, Cravendale is making use of competitions through Facebook and Twitter. For instance, followers on Twitter are asked to retweet and on Facebook are asked to simply like and comment to qualify for the prize draw. Check it out:

RT & Follow for your chance to win one of four birdie swing tea infusers. Terms apply. pic.twitter.com/yNuFjNBXaN

— Cravendale (@Cravendale) October 10, 2014

So far and based only on this competition, Cravendale has received 305 comments, 29 shares and 342 likes on Facebook. This means that people are talking about Cravendale which increases brand awareness. Furthermore, consumers are posting pictures of themselves having a Cravendale experience. Check this out:

Look what sister and I have been up to today! #TooMuchFreeTime @Cravendale #BarryBuscuitBoy pic.twitter.com/1FV9tyqkMC

— Rachel St John (@SimplyRachi) October 6, 2014

Fantastic day at the #uddermarathon on Sunday – thank you @Cravendale @arla_uk for the sponsorship!! @RoyalVetCollege pic.twitter.com/z3RMyM3Fx6

— Farming For All (@farming_for_all) October 9, 2014

In addition, a sense of humor goes a long way. Cravendale embodies a sense of humor in its marketing campaigns.  Just check out the ‘If Cats had Thumbs’ video (the video received 7,607,770 views).  This helps attract their target audience and encourage sharing and engaging with the content.  This has made Cravendale successful in their advertising and increasing awareness.

Even though this is a genius strategy, Cravendale has to be aware of some negative aspects of social media.  For instance, the message may be distorted and lost in terms of how it is perceived by the audience.  As of consequence, it may have a negative impact on the brand.   Nevertheless, the use of social media has allowed Cravendale to view unlimited real-time commentary, instantly update the content and interact with the audience.  Essentially, social media has allowed Cravendale to build a community around the brand.

E-marketing – Lessons Learned…or Not?

We all know that there are those brands who just sell stuff in order to reach the bottom line and then there are those who just go above and beyond, they just get it, I mean they REALLY get it. So, what’s their secret? What makes them so different from the rest…it’s a no brainer and it’s very simple… EMOTIONS!!!

Think about the most memorable marketing campaigns from brands such as Coca-Cola’s Friendship Machine which made friends get together to celebrate their day.

Who would not want to share a Coke after seeing that video, just the mere thought of the brand I immediately think HAPPINESS and I think being surrounded by friends and family.

One of my all time favorites is Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign. I first saw it on the Oprah Winfrey Show a few years ago. I have always been an Oprah fan and everybody knows once your brand receives the Oprah Winfrey stamp of approval, life will never be the same =)

Then I came across this powerful and compelling video last year and I can say that I was sold, right there and then. When Prof showed us the video in our lecture last semester, again, I was deeply touched and at the same time I gained deeper insight into what Dove stands for as a brand.

So what is it about Dove? What makes the brand so special? Well, as I mentioned earlier, EMOTIONS! EMOTIONS! EMOTIONS! The campaign initiated a global conversation by challenging beauty stereotypes and how women view themselves. There is no doubt that such tremendous success could not be achieved without a genius digital marketing strategy. The video received 64,553,727 views, imagine that!!!

Those endless e-marketing tutorial assignments, lectures, a very interesting project and oh…my first blogging experience (Thanks Steph Houslay & Nicola Pallitt for pushing me out of my comfort zone), have helped me gain a deeper understanding of the world of digital marketing. For instance, Stokes & the Minds of Quirk have taught me that in order to have an effective marketing strategy such as that of the Dove campaign, strategists need to fully comprehend the context in which the brand operates. This will help them make well-informed decisions about how to promote the brand.   As a strategist you would have to understand exactly what the brand stands for, the emotions as well as the benefits that consumers associate with the brand (de Haas, 2014). 

Here’s the link to de Haas’ very informative report:  http://www.accenture.com/za-en/landing-pages/global-ceo-en/Pages/home.aspx.

Essentially, you need to fully comprehend what makes your brand unique and your consumer journey. This is important because your brand needs to reach customers with the relevant message and at the right stage of the journey.

 

Furthermore, with all the choices provided by the existence of different social media platforms, I have learned that it is very important for brands to know where they spend their precious time. So, it’s all about testing what works in terms of engagement. At the same time, it is important for brands to share valuable content if they want to capture the attention of their target audience, (thank you Jonathan Gluckman for that lesson). Essentially, it’s about connecting with your audience, creating awareness, creating space for consumer engagement and providing an interactive experience.

 

I can say it’s been a great learning journey & I am hungry for more. For instance, the whole process of data analytics is still a bit fuzzy to me, I am yet to get my head wrapped around this aspect of e-marketing. Tutorials on the other hand, lacked in terms of engagement. I really wish we could have used the time to engage more with the material, hopefully this will change in the future.

The Age of Infographics!!!!!

 

 

We are living in a digital world where we are constantly bombarded with a whole lot of information. As a result, we have learned how to tune out all the noise. Let’s face it, most people think data is intrinsically boring. Therefore, it is essential for marketers to present data in a very simplified and engaging manner. One way marketers can achieve this is through the use of infographics.

 

So what are infographics?

 

Infographics are visual presentations of data that utilize the elements of design in order to display content. These elements include content and knowledge elements such as statistics, time frames and facts. They also include visual elements such as a variety of graphics as well as color coding. By making use of these elements, one is able to articulate complex messages to the receiver in a way that enhances their understanding.

 

So as a brand, you may ask WIIFM?

 

Well, we have mentioned that infographics present data in a way that can be easily understood. But wait, there’s more! As a marketer, one of your goals is to immediately capture the attention of your target audience. By using infographics, marketers are able to capture immediate attention as well as allow their target audience to engage with their brand.

 

So what does this mean for a brand such as Hellocomputer?

 

Before HelloComputer decides to have fun and make use of infographics for its digital marketing strategy, it is crucial to consider overall objectives, production capabilities as well as the needs of the audience. In other words, everything has to be aligned.

 

The first step would be to consider the context in which Hellocomputer is operating. This involves asking questions about external factors that are likely to affect the business, both in the present as well as in the future. Once Hellocomputer has performed the situational analysis, it would have to look at the brand’s value proposition. In doing so, Hellocomputer’s ability to identify its customers, their needs as well as its ability to satisfy these needs will be of utmost importance.

Hellocomputer would have to take this further and examine its value proposition. The digital world offers different channels for value creation. However, what is considered valuable depends on Hellocomputer’s target audience. Therefore, Hellocomputer would have to research its customers and gain insight on what they really want and need. This is where value based content such as an engaging infographic becomes a vital tool.

 

In addition, Hellocomputer would have to look at what it wants to achieve as a brand as well as how it will measure such success. Therefore, SMART objectives would have to be established. By doing so, Hellocomputer will be able to make use of the most appropriate tactics such as social media to achieve these objectives. This is so because social media serves as a platform that allows collaboration as well as connection between multiple channels. By making use of the social media platform, Hellocomputer will strategically create awareness of the brand’s story. Social media will allow the brand to directly share content with the target audience as well as receive feedback.

 

Essentially, taking into consideration the changes in South African social media landscape and depending on its target audience, Hellocomputer can build its social media strategy around its website and additional core social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn as well as the up and coming social media platforms such as YouTube and Google+.

 

– Stokes, R. & the Minds of Quirk. 2013. eMarketing: The essential guide to marketing in a digital world. 5th ed. Quirk eMarketing (Pty) Ltd.

Google Me Baby!!!

Well, before I can say “Google Me Baby” to anyone, I needed to go on a mission and find out what is out there about me, my life in the virtual world. I did not have to go that far, again, thanks Google!!

I found that I do not have a lot of digital footprint. This is mainly because I am a very private person. So when I googled myself, I found that I was on the following sites:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• ResearchGate
• UCT Monday Paper archives
• Pinterest
• Facebook

And my way too old Qeep account also appeared (an account that has been dormant for 4 years, I even forgot it existed). I do not even remember the reason I created that account. When I clicked on it some embarrassing teenage texting language style was used, which I thought it was cool at the time because everyone else was using it. At the time, people did not see the use of vowels as that important when texting. To my defense, I was a teenager and I was not aware of online presence or digital footprint =)

The Facebook profile on the other hand, I temporarily deactivated it during my exams in 2012 and I never looked back. I think one of the reasons I decided to remain inactive is that, I became aware of the fact that my digital footprint may influence how potential employers would view me in the future.  I did not want to take any chances.  My friends think that my view on the matter is extreme because there is no way they can survive without Facebook.

However, I decided to create LinkedIn and Twitter profiles. I use these two accounts professionally. I also use them to keep up to date with the latest news and NOT the Kardashians =)

I found two pictures of myself on Google Images, one from the UCT Monday Paper and the other from my LinkedIn profile. The rest of the people on that page I have no idea who they are.

I must admit that my visibility online requires some improvement. I need to be more active online but on a positive light. I will do so through this blog, LinkedIn and Twitter. Since, I made a choice to step in this arena, I will have to make sure that my privacy settings are protected, make sure that I put myself out there, show up, be seen and share my thoughts with the rest of the world.

And when I am ready to say “Google Me Baby” (hopefully it will never come to that, how embarrassing), all the good that I do and the highest expression of myself will be my only digital footprint.